


I See You

by QuickSilverFox3



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Huddling For Warmth, Male-Female Friendship, Protective The Iron Bull (Dragon Age), Qunari Culture and Customs, Tal-Vashoth Culture and Customs, supportive friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 19:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20879294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuickSilverFox3/pseuds/QuickSilverFox3
Summary: The Inquisitor is missing and only the Iron Bull knows where to find her. But why is she hiding?





	I See You

"Bull!"

The Iron Bull paused, heavy axe still lodged in the training dummy and turned, blind side towards his weapon, to face Cassandra. She was stressed but any fool could see that, lips pursed so tightly they almost disappeared, hands clenched into fists at her side. It was a sight to see, and not a wholly unpleasant one, all rage and fire, but he knew the sheer force Cassandra could put behind her swings. That would have to wait for a different time.

"Seeker, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, well eye!"

The Iron Bull was nothing if not pragmatic. She snarled at him in disgust, casting her eyes skywards before she collected herself.

"Have you seen the Inquisitor? She wasn't at the meeting this morning. I am..." Cassandra's mouth twisted as she thought, scar on her cheek flashing silver, "Concerned."

"After yesterday's mission?" Bull asked. He knew why the Inquisitor was upset, but it helped Cassandra feel better, this illusion of being in control of information, even in an organisation made up of spies and a spirit who could read your mind.

"Yes."

Cassandra glanced around the training ground, seemingly satisfied that a six-foot Qunari wasn't hiding behind a training dummy or behind Bull himself, before she paused, tilting her head back to look Bull square in the face.

"Did she say anything to you?"

"No," Bull lied.

  * ─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

"Hey Boss. Seeker's looking for you."

Adaar resurfaced from the cloudy water of the hot springs just enough to stare suspiciously at the path that led back to Skyhold.

"I didn't bring her."

Bull carefully lowered himself to the ground with a grunt, old injury along his knee flaring up, sticking his feet in the hot water.

"Thank you."

Adaar moved closer to him, scrambling out of the spring to sit next to him, immediately and carefully resting her head on his shoulder, mindful of her horns. Bull breathed slowly, the scent of sandalwood balm filling his nose coupled with lavender, a few tiny sprigs woven into Adaar's braids. Her face was surprisingly clear of Vitaar, the exposed patches free of water. Bull wrapped one arm around her waist when she started to shiver, wind whipping against wet skin.

"I'm Tal Vashoth Bull. I'm not this Andrastian Herald everyone expects me to be."

Bull knew this was coming. The signs had been painted as clear as the Vitaar Adaar wore, as clear as the curling horns on her head, as clear as her height and her skin. She was undeniably Qunari, towering over all the men in the Inquisition, dwarfed only by Bull himself. Josephine and Leliana and Cullen meant well with their poking and their prodding, and their lectures and their clothes; but Adaar _was_ Tal-Vashoth. She was Other.

"That lady yesterday really got to you huh?" he said gently, Adaar burying her face further into his shoulder as she nodded, the tip of one horn trailing a white line on his skin.

_"You must be joking."_

_Adaar grinned, the expression mostly teeth, before she wiped it away and turned to face the furious woman who had spoken._

_"Excuse me?"_

_Dorian had casually sidled behind Iron Bull at the first sound of a raised voice, highly conscious of his presence with the Inquisitor in the depths of Ferelden. It was sweet, warmed Bull's heart to be so trusted. He couldn't resist flexing ever so slightly just to hear the hiss of breath as Dorian’s eyes locked onto his shoulders._

_"Fasta vass."_

_Bull chuckled, but all amusement melted away at the woman's words._

_"You're nothing but a filthy ox-man. They expect us to believe that you are the Herald of Andraste, saved by Our Lady herself?"_

_She spat on the ground, but the glare she gave suggested she very much wished to spit in Adaar's face. _

_"I'll die before I follow an ox-man."_

_Adaar froze as the woman defiantly picked up her child, a tiny scrap of a thing even by human standards, Bull biting back curses even as he nudged Dorian further behind him, casting his eye around for Cole, the spirit slipping back into his preferred state of invisibility. _

_"Hurts," Cole whispered by his ear, Bull just supressing a yell, "Just words, shouldn't matter, why does it hurt? Everyone is disappointed, why?"_

_"I won't stop you," Adaar said, all traces of Tal Vashoth mercenary gone from her voice and instead she sounded like Josephine, "But at least permit some soldiers to travel with you, in case of attacks."_

_Adaar didn't cry when they found the body of the woman and her child further down the road, having refused the offer of protection. She bowed her head, pressing the palm of one hand over her eyes, and moved on. Bull caught a soldier by the arm and murmured an order to bury the two in his ear before following the Inquisitor._

"She was wrong."

"She wasn't wrong. She died because I'm Qunari, that's all they see. If I'd been human or an elf, they'd both be alive."

"There's no way you can know that," Bull said firmly. He'd seen this before, deep in the forests of Seheron, but there was no Ben-Hassrath re-educators to sort out all the concerns and worries. He pushed down the small voice that whispered if that was ever the right choice.

"But-"

"Hey."

Bull tipped her chin up, leaning forward to rest his forehead against her, feeling her instantly relax. Some customs survived in the mercenary groups it seemed. Bull wasn't a Tamassran, couldn't say that wasn't where his path would have led, but this position he knew, warm and safe.

"You are you. For every person who looks at you and sees a Qunari, ten more see the woman who saved them, the Qunari who walked out of the Fade. The friend I promised to follow until the end."

She laughed, bumping her head against his.

"Protect me from Josephine when we get back? I’ve missed… several meetings."

"Sure thing Boss."


End file.
